The White Brothers Give Fans a ‘Parade’ to Remember

DENVER: Electric Soft Parade make it a "brilliant" night out at the Hi-Dive.

Midway through its latest U.S. tour, brothers Alex and Thomas White brought their Electric Soft Parade to Denver’s tiny Hi-Dive venue Thursday night (June 7), giving an unsuspecting audience the type of performance that turns unknowns into overnight sensations. Quite simply, as Alex exclaimed many times, it was “brilliant!”

Despite being the first of a three-act bill, the youthful Brighton, England-based quartet instantly warmed the crowd with a concise, yet potent, sampling of its sturdy Brit pop psychedelia. “A Beating Heart” and “Cold World,” both featured on 2006’s The Human Body EP set the act’s commanding, 40-minute set in motion. By its third number, “Silent to the Dark,” Electric Soft Parade’s Beach Boys-meets-the-Charlatans sound had the early arrivals hooked. The brothers Whites appeared to enjoy playing to the responsive audience. “We’ve had a couple of dead nights, so this is great! It’s good to be a 400 light years from home,” Alex gushed.

As the free form performance continued, fans were treated to “Misunderstanding” and “Have You Ever Felt Like It’s Too Late,” both featured on the band’s latest offering, No Need to be Disheartened; “If That’s The Case, Then I Don’t Know,” the evening’s mightiest number, was dedicated to a lone fan at the foot of the stage sporting an ear-to-ear grin. A sincere thank you to “a sweet crowd,” which had nearly packed the revered concert hub, followed by a cerebral alt-rock finale, sealed the deal. JEFFREY V. SMITH / PHOTOS BY SOREN MCCARTY

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